OTT in Pretoria

WORDS Adéle de Lange PHOTOS Ingrid Smit

Lees in Afrikaans.

Quirky, retro, modern, funky and fabulous, enjoy a proudly South African rendezvous at Eau-La-La Art & Trends Café, a carefully curated over-the-top ode to creativity in Pretoria.

The rusty blue DKW parked outside with a bold but welcoming “eau-la-la” across its side is the first sign that visitors to Pretoria’s latest creative hotspot should never expect anything less than the unexpected. 

Venture across the threshold of 59 Garsfontein Road in Menlyn and you come to an abrupt halt. One’s mind really needs time to process the vast variety of beautifully crafted objects that cover the walls and floors – literally every nook and cranny – of the shop. This heady mix of excess has something in store for everyone – young, old, funky, retro, modern, kitsch…

Eau-La-La is the brainchild of owner Ingrid Smit – an artist and interior and graphic designer – who carefully choreographed the space with a typical artist’s touch: Glittering handcrafted Lady Peculiar jewellery nestles inside antique glass display cabinets; delicately hand-painted tea sets by artist Anne-carien Goosen pay homage to indigenous South African fauna and flora; retro medicine cabinets with teaspoon handles fill unexpected corners; while chunky Babes in the Woods scatters emblazoned with bold graphic designs in the latest colourful trends vie for a spot on an oversized sofa with plush hand-stitched soft toys of all shapes and sizes.

The café, which is currently undergoing a major revamp, offers welcome refreshment between browsing sessions. The convenient location on the corner of Garsfontein and Dely Road, bordering Waterkloof, turned it into a popular pit stop for passersby and businessmen alike, with the promise of a peaceful reprieve from the frantic pace of city life beyond.

Eau-La-La specialises in corporate and residential interior design. The massive variety of decor items on display affords them the ideal opportunity to find out right from the start what their clients like. “It never looks the same around here. The look and feel of our exhibition space changes almost on a weekly basis as new consignments arrives,” Ingrid says.

At the heart of it all is Ingrid’s passion for supporting and nurturing fresh creative talent. “We want to be a catalyst for new artists to find their way into the marketplace. We want to be a place where artist, clients, friends and suppliers can meet, mingle and be inspired.”

One thing is for certain: Eau-La-La might get a weekly facelift, but its heart will always stay the same; a place where one can linger, relax and appreciate the creativity of others.

Eau-la-la Art & Trends Café, Cape Connection, 59 Garsfontein Road, Waterkloof, Pretoria, 012 346 3135, www.eau-la-la.co.za